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Indianapolis safety group calls on city leaders after rise in pedestrian-involved accidents

Pedestrian safety group IndyPed Crisis reported 22 incidents this past week, four of them happening Sunday within the span of one hour.

INDIANAPOLIS — A local group wants Indianapolis leaders to take action after an alarming number of cars have hit people crossing the street.

Pedestrian safety group IndyPed Crisis reported 22 incidents this past week, four of them happening Sunday within the span of one hour.

The group said 66 accidents happened in November, and 606 have occurred this year so far.

In a statement to 13News, IndyPed Crisis said, “While our elected leaders continue to downplay the severity of pedestrian and bicyclist safety issues in Indianapolis, the data does not lie - this crisis is continuing to worsen. It is beyond time for our leaders (to) step up and treat this crisis with the urgency it deserves. We know what works, and we know how to fix this."

The group said city leaders should look at what other cities have done to improve pedestrian safety and see what works best for the city before the number of incidents get any higher.

IMPD said a reason for this number is an increase in distracted driving. Officers remind walkers and bikers to wear reflective, bright clothing, and drivers need to watch out for them.

"It's when you're getting behind that wheel, having that responsibility, putting that phone down, and paying attention to what's in front of you because we know there are times where people could be seriously injured, whether they are walking, riding a bike, whatever that looks like, and all it takes is one second," IMPD chief communications officer Alexa Boylan said.

Officers said there is a shared responsibility for drivers and pedestrians to keep everyone safe. 

"We live in a society where there is a lot going, a lot vying for our attention, and we are seeing that play out, unfortunately, in some of these circumstances, and it's really sad," Boylan said.

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